Wednesday 31st March 2021
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Report written by Bethan Greenaway
With lockdown restrictions slightly relaxed we were delighted to be able to head back to the Children's Allotment.
With flapjacks in hand to celebrate Anna and her amazing 100 good deeds we headed to the site and were greeted by Alice who had some jobs for us.
The main aim for the evening was to prepare some planting beds around some existing fruit trees. This involved creating a "cardboard lasagne" - a cardboard layer to prevent weeds popping up topped with some soil and finally some lovely rich compost - ragu, pasta, white-sauce.................... Silver birch logs to edge the beds were also prepared by Aoife who's eyes lit up at the mention of using a saw!
We cheerfully got to work, chatting as we went. Conversations topics were wide ranging and delightfully random - from rescuing bumblebees from spiders to the joy of river swimming.
By the end of our session we all sat back and surveyed the fruits of our labours - ripe and stinky manure piled around the fruit trees, cardboard lasagne built and some lovely silver birch chunks prepared ready to by made into a gorgeous border. We will be planting strawberry plants next week!
We were all so happy to be back in this gorgeous space and hear all Alice's plans for clearing and planting.
Til next week!
A group of local parents and volunteers creating an inclusive outdoor education space for the local community. On the site of a disused old plant nursery in the East Ward Allotments on Cricket Road, they are bringing to life their vision for a new kind of 'Nursery' and children's allotment, trying out a new model that can provide affordable, cooperative childcare, outdoor learning and sustainable food-growing for children and families, all primarily outdoors year round.
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